The collection and transportation of trash and recyclables from residential, commercial, industrial and large residential facilities is a major industry in the United States and throughout the civilized world. Typically, trash and recyclables are accumulated and temporarily stored in waste material receptacles such as trash cans and dumpsters. When filled, or at regularly scheduled intervals, trash and recyclables from the containers are transported for the eventual recycling, incineration and/or disposal into landfills.
Customers typically pay for trash and recyclables removal services based on the amount of trash and recyclables removed and the number of trash and recyclables pickups over a period of time. These industrial, commercial and large residential bins and compactors are collected from different locations and hauled to a central location. Normally, those hauling the trash and recyclables are sent from a central location and dispatched to the different locations. In practice, paper logs or schedules document the hauler's runs (e.g., trash and recyclables to pick-up, trash and recyclables being picked-up, and trash and recyclables picked-up). The haulers are given their routes in person or over the phone. The haulers, in turn, keep in touch with the central location generally by cell phone or radio.
Multiplied globally, significant time is wasted on maintenance and repair of equipment from inefficient removal chains, or removal processes. It takes significant staffing support to monitor distribution of work orders to removal sites. Time and energy are expended in inefficient responses. Methods and systems for improving the collection of waste and refuse are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,185,277, and U.S. Patent Application Publication Nos. 20080197194, 20080198021, and 20080202357, all of which are incorporated herein by specific reference for all purposes.
There are a number of existing systems known in the art that allow users to submit reports on locations of trash and nuisance conditions. However, these systems are limited to certain specific jurisdictions (e.g., a particular municipality, city, or park). Such systems also are limited in scope and utility, and provide little or no incentive for generating or responding to reports.